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There is a laundry list of reasons why pasta is not on my dinner plate these days (low nutrient value, contains gluten, inflammatory, high glycemic load, etc). I follow an anti inflammatory diet plan so for me pasta just doesn’t work well for my body. If I eat gluten I immediately feel my joints swell and ache so its just not worth it. I had written off pasta a long time ago until this happened…

I made a vegan creamy sauce from avocados, basil, garlic, olive oil, and lemon and tossed it with zucchini noodles aka zuccasta! Crazy right??? This sauce is so creamy and satisfying you wont even notice that its made from veggies and totally vegan! I pair this with a nice side salad with some of the extra sauce mixed with coconut aminos as a dressing, top it with pumpkin seeds and sliced strawberry and BLAMO, low inflammatory, vegan, deliciousness in under 30 minutes.

How do you make zuccasta you ask? Well, you will need some special equipment to make this but trust me this will be the best $35 you have ever spent (well at least for a kitchen utensil). I use the paderno slicer because its way better than any of the other brands out there, trust me on this one.

Lemon Basil Avocado Zuccasta

Ingredients

1 avocado, pit removed cut into small pieces

15 basil leaves chopped into ribbons

juice of 1 lemon

2 garlic clove finely minced

2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

5-10 turns of black pepper or to taste

2-4 Zucchinis (see notes)

Optional

1/2 cup grape tomatoes halved for garnic

lemon zest for garnish

Equipment

Veggie Spiralizer

Instructions

In a blender add the avocado, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, basil, and blend until smooth adding more olive oil to thin if needed.

The sauce should be very thick like a pudding and not move if you hold the blender upside down.

Spiralize the zucchini into pasta noodles (I like the paderno brand slicer) set aside.

In a medium saute pan add a tablespoon of olive oil and heat over medium heat until it just starts to shimmer.

Add the zucchini in one layer into the pan and allow it to brown. Do don't move the "zuccasta"

Once the zucchini has gained color turn it over and allow to cook for a few more minutes.

Add a few heaping spoonfuls of the avocado sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. You can add more sauce to the amount of your liking.

Allow the sauce and pasta to cook together until the sauce starts to lose a little bit of its green color and has heated throughout.

Transfer to plates and garnish with tomatoes and lemon zest.

Notes

You may have leftover sauce. I like to keep mine covered in the refrigerator for the next time I make this dish. I like to make it fresh every time rather than have it as leftovers but thats a personal preference.

It’s the last week of February, which means it’s almost March, and March is almost Spring, and Spring is close to Summer, which is bathing suit season and you know what that means don’t you?!?!?!??!?

It means its time to stop eating all those starchy caloric dense foods and start slimming down for the warmer weather. Eeeek!

So what should you be eating you ask? Well its a good time to start filling your plate with low starch veggies on big piles of fresh salad paired with healthy fats like avocados, nuts, and oily omega 3 filled fish.

Here is one that you probably haven’t tried before, roasted radishes!

I love radishes because they are very light, have a low starch content, and are great for cleansing because they are a natural diuretic. I prefer to mix raw radishes and cooked to gain a variety of flavor in salads or paired as a side with proteins. All you have to do is place the radishes in a pouch of either parchment or aluminum foil add some ghee or olive oil roast for 15 minutes then open it up and broil for 5-8 minutes to get some nice color and depth of flavor. Voila! Keep in mind that you can use this method for almost any other low starch veggie for cooking like turnips, zuchini, asparagus, etc.

I also suggest to jumpstart your weight loss efforts by drinking a liter of this detox water daily to help fight bloat and curb your appetite:

Its snowing…again. I am freezing and in need of some serious comfort food to ease these winter blues. Good thing I had this prepped in my fridge and could just pop it in the oven because I am not moving from my couch today. Make this for dinner tonight. Eat it wearing your favorite pajamas. Then go sleep off your beefy sweet potato slumber until winter is over.

Paleo Shepherd's Pie

Serves 6 - 8

Paleo - Grain Free - Gluten Free - Sugar Free

Ingredients

2 lbs Bison or Grass Fed Beef or Lamb (or a combo of your choosing)

1 Large Onion, finely diced

2 Large Carrots, finely diced

2 Large Celery Stalks, finely diced

1 lb Mushrooms finely diced (white or crimini)

2 Tbl Organic Tomato Paste

1 Tbl Balsamic Vinegar

1 Cup Low Sodium Beef/Chicken/or Veggie Broth

2 Tbl Ghee or fat of choice

1 tsp Fine Sea Salt or to taste

1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper

1 tsp Garlic Powder

heaping 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Cups Frozen Peas

Topping

2 Large Sweet Potatoes peeled and roughly chopped into 1" chunks

4 Carrots peeled and roughly chopped into 1" chunks

1 Cup Low Sodium Chicken or Veggie Broth

1 Tbl Olive Oil or Ghee

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F

In a large high sided pot add the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, 1 cup of broth and place over high heat.

Bring to a boil place a cover on top and reduce to medium heat.

Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the flesh of the vegetables are easily pierced with a knife.

Drain the vegetables reserving the excess liquid.

Add the ghee and mash or puree in a blender adding some of the cooking liquid to loosen it up.

You can add as much liquid as you prefer to achieve the texture you desire.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large heavy bottomed saute pan place it over medium high heat and add the 2 Tbl ghee/fat of choice.

When the oil/ghee starts to shimmer add the onions, celery, carrots, salt and pepper.

Sautee for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to soften.

Add the mushrooms and saute for another 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir it into the vegetables and cook for 1 minute to cook some of the raw tomato flavor out. (Its ok if it looks like there is burnt stuff on the bottom of the pan. That is flavor and will get scraped up and incorporated into the sauce later)

Add the beef/bison and break it up with the back of a wooden spoon.

Sprinkle the garlic powder and cinnamon over the meat and stir well.

Cook until it starts to get some color and stir occasionally to cook it through.

When the beef is pretty well cooked deglaze with the broth and add the balsamic vinegar.

Cook over medium heat stirring frequently to scrape up the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

When the mixture is thick taste for seasoning.

Add more salt according to your taste.

The frozen peas can be steamed for a few minutes or placed in a small pan and covered with a small amount of broth and brought to a soft simmer then drained.

Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Pour the meat mixture into a large 6-8 quart casserole dish.

Cover with the drained peas.

Top with the sweet potato/carrot mash and smooth out to cover the top entirely.

*At this point you can wrap it up and store in the fridge and save for another night to reheat in oven

I have realized something over the last year or so of fumbling my way through running this blog…I tend to over complicate healthy food when all I (and my friends and family) really want is easy, delicious food that isn’t going to make us fat. So my new years resolution is to bring you the simple food that I eat everyday that will keep you lean, mean, and in control of your kitchen.

I just made this Thai inspired turkey hot-pot and it’s just the thing my cold body needs on this rainy day. This is one of a series of clean dinners that will keep your new years resolutions on track because Lord knows I drank and ate a wee bit too much this holiday season.

I am still on a mission to give you delicious, healthy recipes as we become more and more tempted by this Holiday seasons mind field of indulgent eats. Frosted snowman, gingerbread houses, and orange chocolates that you break up against the wall…..AHHHHH I shake my fist at you delicious sugary treats of Christmas.

Treating yourself is fine but lets stay focused on healthy eating in between cookie binges. Here is a super flavorful high protein low carb dish that I just had for lunch…and let me say its crazy good!

Basically I deconstructed a Nicoise salad and placed the ingredients on top of a baked Portobello mushroom cap. Mmmm. Oh and I also wrote a recipe for my Olive Oil mayonnaise that I make in big batches every week. I use pasture raised egg yolks and organic cold expeller pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

A little note that olive oil mayonnaise is going to taste a bit different than your regular storebought mayo, it will tatse more like well olive oil! Why olive oil and not a light flavored vegetable oil? I am always combatting inflammation and I like to keep hydrogenated, processed, refined vegetable oils aways from my everyday food. Industrialized refined oils are the cause of many of Americas health issues (especially silent inflammation which makes weight loss close to impossible). Is it a coincidence that obesity, diabetes, and heart disease numbers in this country are at an all time high while the consumption of vegetable based oils are also at an all time high? I think not. 100 years ago we did not consume this amount of omega 6 filled vegetable oils. We ate real food like lard, eggs, and butter which contain naturally occurring Omega 3 fats, fat soluble vitamins like D, K, & A, and CLA.

The optimal ratio would be 4:1 or 2:1 (Omega 3:Omega 6). While olive oil doesn’t contain any omega 3’s a cold pressed olive oil has great monounsaturated fats, phenols and vitamin E preserved when they are not introduced to heat. (monounsaturated fats may lower your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.) This type of olive oil is best when used in cold preparations. I use grass-fed ghee or coconut oil for high heat cooking NOT my beautiful cold pressed olive oil.

It may take a bit of getting used to flavor wise when cooking with traditional fats like ghee, grass-fed lard, and olive oil mayo but this is REAL food and REAL food will keep you healthy, energized, lean and mean! If you are concerned about your Omega 3 ratio balance I would encourage you to supplement with Cod liver oil or a high quality fish oil like this one.

As much fun as it is to go crazy this time of year, eat ourselves into a coma wearing some elastic waisted pants and do shots of whip cream watching Elf strewn across the couch…lets not get so carried away this year. Ok?

Don’t get me wrong, I think its important to splurge and enjoy the holidays but I also think it can be done within reason. My suggestion? Workout, keep up with your water and sleep, and eat nourishing healthy food when you aren’t out at holiday parties. Keep the carbs towards the beginning of your day, fill half of your plate with low starch vegetables, and drink a big glass of water before your meals. Easy right?

To give you a little help here is one of my go to quick dinners when I am craving comfort food on a snowy winter night. Roasted cauliflower steaks smothered in a sweet and salty fennel and fig caponata topped with a runny poached egg.

Mmmmmm a low carb, paleo, nourishing dinner under 30 minutes.

Cauliflower Steaks with Fig & Fennel Caponata

Yields 4

Roasted cauliflower steaks topped with caponata and a poached egg

Vegetarian- Low Carb - Paleo - Gluten Free - Grain Free - Dairy Free

Cauliflower Steaks

1 Head Cauliflower

2 Tbl Ghee or Coconut Oil or Oil of choice

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1/8 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper

Caponata

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) red onion

2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) fennel (1 large)

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/3 cup good sherry vinegar

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes in puree

8 dried Calmyrna figs, stems removed and 1/4-inch-diced

2 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar or honey

2 tablespoons drained capers

1/2 cup green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped, such as Cerignola

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Poached Eggs

4 Eggs

1 Tbl Mild Flavored Vinegar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F

Slice the Cauliflower across the top, with the stem still in tact, into 4 large steaks about 1/2'' thick. (You may have some smaller pieces that don't form steaks. You can toss these in ghee/oil and roast for snacks)

Line a sheet pan with foil and toss the cauliflower in melted ghee or oil of choice.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes in the middle rack.

Flip the steaks carefully with a spatula.

Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until browned and crispy.

Remove from the oven and keep covered with foil to stay warm.

Caponata

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch saute pan.

Add the onions and fennel and saute for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.

Stir in the vinegar, tomatoes, figs, and coconut sugar, stirring to coat everything with the tomatoes.

Stir in the capers, olives, orange zest, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until thickened.

Stir in the orange juice and parsley.

Taste for seasonings; the caponata should be very highly seasoned but add salt to your palette.

Eggs

Use a nonstick skillet and bring about 2 inches of water to a boil.

Add vinegar to the water

Crack the eggs seperately into small bowls. This way the eggs will keep their shape and you'll be able to cook them all at the same time.

Slip the eggs into the water one at a time. Work your way around the pan clockwise, so you know which eggs are done first. Tip: Fresher eggs cook faster and have firmer whites.

Cover the pan and turn off the heat.

Wait four minutes.

Carefully scoop them out of the pan, drain them on paper towels.

Assembly

Lay one piece of the cauliflower onto a plate and cover generously with the caponata.

Place one egg on top of the caponata and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt if desired.

Notes

While the cauliflower is roasting start making the caponata so it will be ready when the cauliflower comes out of the oven.

Sometimes with gluten free or grain free recipes there is a palette adjustment or texture adjustment that one has to make mentally before eating a certain remake of a favorite food (ex cupcakes, or muffins). But when it comes to this Salmon, no adjustments are neccesary. I dare you to make this for any of your foodie friends and I promise the only thing you’ll be explaining is the recipe, not that its “paleo” or “gluten free”.

Start out with a beautiful wild caught one side center cut fillet of Salmon with the skin on and pin bones removed. I like center cut because the thickness is more uniform which will help for even cooking. This recipe is for a 1 lb piece so feel free to adjust the recipe for the size of your fish. I like the skin on because it holds in more moisture but make sure that before serving you peel off the skin because it won’t be crispy.

Toast the coriander and cumin in a dry small saute pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the spices become fragrant. Make sure to stir the spices every 30 seconds or so for even toasting.

In a mortar & pestle or a spice grinder add the toasted coriander and cumin seeds and process until finely ground.

Rinse the salmon off and dry with paper towels removing as much moisture as possible.

Lay the salmon down on a sheet pan lined with foil and brushed with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Generously cover the salmon in the spice rub pressing it into the flesh until it is completely covered.

Allow the salmon to sit out for 30-45 minutes and "cure".

You know its ready when the spices have absorbed into the salmon and it has a sheen to it.

Preheat the broiler and position a rack 3 inches from the broiler.

After the curing, place the salmon under the broiler for 6-8 minutes or until the thickest part of the fish reaches an internal temperature of 131 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For whole spices: Toast the coriander and cumin in a dry small saute pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the spices become fragrant. Make sure to stir the spices every 30 seconds or so for even toasting.

In a mortar & pestle or a spice grinder add the toasted coriander and cumin seeds and process until finely ground. Add to spice/lemon zest/sugar mixture and proceed with recipe.